An RCT of Virtual Reality Job Interview Training for Individuals With Serious Mental Illness in IPS Supported Employment.

Objective: Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT) is a computerized interview simulator with efficacy at enhancing interview skills and employment outcomes. A randomized controlled trial assessed VR-JIT effectiveness for participants in individual placement and support (IPS), in which approximately 55% of individuals with serious mental illness obtain employment.

Methods: Ninety participants with serious mental illness were randomly assigned to IPS+VR-JIT (N=54) or IPS as usual (N=36), completing pretest-posttest assessments and an employment evaluation at 9 months.

An innovative program to provide methodological mentoring and to foster the development of robust research teams for K awardees: RAMP Mentors.

Within the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) component of the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, we created a mentoring program to complement training provided by the associated Multidisciplinary Career Development Program (KL2). Called Research design Analysis Methods Program (RAMP) Mentors, the program provides each KL2 scholar with individualized, hands-on mentoring in biostatistics, epidemiology, informatics, and related fields, with the goal of building multidisciplinary research teams. From 2015 to 2019, RAMP Mentors paired 8 KL2 scholars with 16 individually selected mentors.

Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for alcohol dependence: Findings from a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To assess the effects of mindfulness-based relapse prevention for alcohol dependence (MBRP-A) intervention on drinking and related consequences.

Methods: 123 alcohol-dependent adults in early recovery, recruited from outpatient treatment programs, were randomly assigned to MBRP-A (intervention plus usual-care; N = 64) or Control (usual-care-alone; N = 59) group. MBRP-A consisted of eight-weekly sessions and home practice.

Enhancing individual placement and support (IPS) - Supported employment: A Type 1 hybrid design randomized controlled trial to evaluate virtual reality job interview training among adults with severe mental illness.

Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is the evidence-based model of supported employment that increases employment rates in adults with severe mental illness (SMI). Although IPS is largely successful, over 80% of adults with SMI remain unemployed. An enhancement to high fidelity IPS could be an evidence-based job interview training component.

Mechanism of Action for Obtaining Job Offers With Virtual Reality Job Interview Training.

Objective: Four randomized controlled trials revealed that virtual-reality job interview training (VR-JIT) improved interviewing skills and the odds of obtaining a job offer among trainees with severe mental illness or autism spectrum disorder. This study assessed whether postintervention interviewing skills mediated the relationship between completion of virtual interviews and receiving job offers by six-month follow-up.

Methods: VR-JIT trainees (N=79) completed pre- and posttest mock interviews and a brief survey approximately six months later to assess whether they received a job offer.

Phosphatidylethanol Detects Moderate-to-Heavy Alcohol Use in Liver Transplant Recipients.

Background: Alcohol-dependent liver transplantation (LT) patients who resume alcohol consumption are at risk for a number of alcohol-related problems including liver injury and liver failure. Post-LT patients are strongly advised to remain abstinent. However, we do not know how well this population complies due to a lack of valid methods (self-report and/or biomarkers) to identify alcohol use.

Virtual Reality Job Interview Training and 6-Month Employment Outcomes for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders Seeking Employment.

Background: Individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) have low employment rates and job interviewing is a critical barrier to employment for them. Virtual reality training is efficacious at improving interview skills and vocational outcomes for several clinical populations.

Objective: This study evaluated the acceptability and efficacy of virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) at improving interview skills and vocational outcomes among individuals with SUDs via a small randomized controlled trial (n=14 VR-JIT trainees, n=11 treatment-as-usual (TAU) controls).

Job Offers to Individuals With Severe Mental Illness After Participation in Virtual Reality Job Interview Training.

Objective: Individuals with severe mental illness have low employment rates, and the job interview presents a critical barrier for them to obtain competitive employment. Prior randomized controlled trials (RCTs) indicated that virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) improved job interviewing skills among trainees. This study assessed whether VR-JIT participation was associated with greater odds of receiving job offers in the six-months after completion of training.

Virtual reality job interview training and 6-month employment outcomes for individuals with schizophrenia seeking employment.

Background: Individuals with schizophrenia have low employment rates and the job interview presents a critical barrier for them to obtain employment. Virtual reality training has demonstrated efficacy at improving interview skills and employment outcomes among multiple clinical populations. However, the effects of this training on individuals with schizophrenia are unknown.

Brief report: vocational outcomes for young adults with autism spectrum disorders at six months after virtual reality job interview training.

Young adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have low employment rates and job interviewing presents a critical barrier to employment for them. Results from a prior randomized controlled efficacy trial suggested virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) improved interviewing skills among trainees with ASD, but not controls with ASD. We conducted a brief survey with 23 of 26 participants from this study to evaluate their vocational outcomes at 6-month follow-up with a focus on whether or not they attained a competitive position (employment or competitive volunteering).

Effects of primary care team social networks on quality of care and costs for patients with cardiovascular disease.

Purpose: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the United States. Primary care teams can be best suited to improve quality of care and lower costs for patients with cardiovascular disease. This study evaluates the associations between primary care team communication, interaction, and coordination (ie, social networks); quality of care; and costs for patients with cardiovascular disease.

Virtual Reality Job Interview Training for Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Background: Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have low employment rates and the job interview presents a critical barrier for them to obtain competitive employment.

Objective: To evaluate the acceptability and efficacy of virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) among veterans with PTSD via a small randomized controlled trial (n=23 VR-JIT trainees, n=10 waitlist treatment-as-usual (TAU) controls).

Methods: VR-JIT trainees completed up to 10 hours of simulated job interviews and reviewed information and tips about job interviewing, while wait-list TAU controls received services as usual.

Unhealthy drug use: how to screen, when to intervene.

Recognizing and helping patients at risk for a substance use disorder doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Here’s how to make screening and implementing a brief intervention a routine part of care.

Virtual reality job interview training for individuals with psychiatric disabilities.

Services are available to help support existing employment for individuals with psychiatric disabilities; however, there is a gap in services targeting job interview skills that can help obtain employment. We assessed the feasibility and efficacy of Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT) in a randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomized to VR-JIT (n = 25) or treatment-as-usual (TAU) (n = 12) groups.

Virtual reality job interview training in adults with autism spectrum disorder.

The feasibility and efficacy of virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) was assessed in a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. Adults with autism spectrum disorder were randomized to VR-JIT (n = 16) or treatment-as-usual (TAU) (n = 10) groups. VR-JIT consisted of simulated job interviews with a virtual character and didactic training.

Training mentors of clinical and translational research scholars: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: To determine whether a structured mentoring curriculum improves research mentoring skills.

Method: The authors conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) at 16 academic health centers (June 2010 to July 2011). Faculty mentors of trainees who were conducting clinical/translational research ≥50% of the time were eligible.

Emergency department-based brief intervention to reduce risky driving and hazardous/harmful drinking in young adults: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Risky driving and hazardous drinking are associated with significant human and economic costs. Brief interventions for more than one risky behavior have the potential to reduce health-compromising behaviors in populations with multiple risk-taking behaviors such as young adults. Emergency department (ED) visits provide a window of opportunity for interventions meant to reduce both risky driving and hazardous drinking.

RCR online course: build an online course to augment RCR training using evidenced-based learning theory.

This article demonstrates how to apply evidenced-based instructional design principles to develop a supplemental, online Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) course. The supplement RCR course may serve to appropriately augment the National Institutes of Health (NIH) required RCR training. The way to ensure that an online RCR course is effective is to incorporate evidence-based learning theories into the development of the course content.

College students' alcohol displays on Facebook: intervention considerations.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate college freshmen's views towards potential social networking site (SNS) screening or intervention efforts regarding alcohol.

Participants: Freshmen college students between February 2010 and May 2011.

Methods: Participants were interviewed; all interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed.

Prevalence of involuntary commitment for alcohol dependence.

Background: Alcohol dependence is a chronic relapsing illness. While some patients respond to treatment, others continue to drink alcohol and suffer serious health effects such as delirium tremens, liver failure, heart disease, and central nervous effects. One option society has used to force treatment and abstinence is the legal mechanism of "involuntary commitment.

Racial Disparities in Pain Management in Primary Care.

This descriptive, cross-sectional, secondary data analysis was conducted to examine racial disparities in pain management of primary care patients with chronic nonmalignant pain using chronic opioid therapy. Data from 891 patients, including 201 African Americans and 691 Caucasians were used to test an explanatory model for these disparities. We predicted that: (1) African American patients would report worse pain management and poor quality of life (QOL) than Caucasians; (2) the association between race and pain management would be mediated by perceived discrimination relating to hopelessness; and (3) poor pain management would negatively affect QOL.

Alcohol-induced memory blackouts as an indicator of injury risk among college drinkers.

Background: An alcohol-induced memory blackout represents an amnesia to recall events but does not involve a loss of consciousness. Memory blackouts are a common occurrence among college drinkers, but it is not clear if a history of memory blackouts is predictive of future alcohol-related injury above and beyond the risk associated with heavy drinking episodes.

Objective: To determine whether baseline memory blackouts can prospectively identify college students with alcohol-related injury in the next 24 months after controlling for heavy drinking days.

Survey of mentoring programs for KL2 scholars.

There is limited information on how academic institutions support effective mentoring practices for new investigators. A national semistructured telephone interview was conducted to assess current “state of the art” mentoring practices for KL2 scholars among the 46 institutions participating in the Clinical Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Consortium. Mentoring practices examined included: mentor selection, articulating and aligning expectations, assessing the mentoring relationship, and mentor training.

Alcohol use in students seeking primary care treatment at university health services.

Objective: given the high rate of at-risk drinking in college students, the authors examined drinking behaviors and associated factors in students being seen in student health services for primary care visits from October 30, 2004, to February 15, 2007.

Methods: analyses were based on a Health Screening Survey completed by 10,234 college students seeking general medical treatment.

Results: alcohol use was similar to other studies with 57% (n = 5,840) meeting the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism criteria for at-risk drinking.